Rutherford Place

Fragmented into three apartments over the decades, Rutherford Place in Central Austin had lost both its architectural clarity and its role as a family home. Its renovation reimagines the structure as a cohesive single-family residence, fundamentally reorganizing how the home is lived in while preserving its character. Located in the Travis Heights Historic District, the project sought to retain the historic facade and minimize impact to the site with only a small increase to the original footprint.

Inside, the design transforms circulation and spatial relationships—absorbing an exterior stair and balcony into conditioned space, redefining the entry sequence and reorganizing small, enclosed rooms into comfortable living spaces.

Despite substantial changes, the home’s character remains intact: original arched openings, wood floors, hardware, and the front door are preserved, while the roof was refitted with its original terra cotta tile. The result is a renovation where the architecture feels less altered than rediscovered.